Torah: Sh'mot (Yitro) (Ex.) 18:1-20:23 (or thru 20:26 in Gentile editions)
Haftarah: Yesha'yahu (Is.) 6:1-7:6; 9:5-6 (9:6-7 in Gentile editions)
Yesha'yahu (Is.) 6:1-13

Ketuvim Mattityahu 5:17-32; 15:1-11; 19:16-30
Mark 7:5-15; 10:17-31
Luke 18:18-30
Acts 6:1-7
Rom. 2:17-29; 7:7-12; 13:8-10
Eph. 6:1-3
1Tim. 3:1-14
2Tim. 2:2
Titus 1:5-9;
Heb. 12:18-29
Ya'akov 2:8-13;
1Kefa 2:9-10

Parsha Yitro (Jethro) Shemot (Ex) 18:1-20:23

One of the best ways of looking at the covenant God made with Israel in this Parsha is as a wedding. To see Israel as the Bride of G-d will put a new perspective on the covenant and change our attitude towards the Torah itself. Many of those here today, were brought up in the Christian church, and were taught to view the Torah negatively. It is ‘Law’, it is oppressive, it is judgmental, it is the opposite of ‘grace’ and presumably opposite of the teachings of the Messiah Himself. We have now learned that is not the case. The Messiah is the ‘Torah made flesh’, He taught and lived Torah and encouraged others to do the same. So in reevaluating our attitude towards Torah, it is helpful to change our view of Torah from that of a bunch of rules and regulations, an outside authority (YHVH) imposes on us, to a living, breathing marriage relationship where each party has a vested interest in serving and blessing the other. In a wedding, particularly a Jewish one, there is a process to go through. First, there is a statement of intention made by the groom, who in our case is YHVH. His intentions are stated in Exodus 6:6-7 which comprise the four “I will” promises of Pesach. Next, the bride (Israel) is separated in preparation for the wedding. YHVH Elohim accomplished this throughout the Exodus and bringing Israel out into the desert. This began the process of her sanctification of her being set-apart. It made her unavailable to others (Egypt) and it removed outside temptation. Much of what is contained in the rest of Torah will be concerned with this separation.  This also was the time when G-d began to outline what the marriage would be like. He told Israel that she would be His prized possession and that she would be a holy nation and a royal priesthood. This would be a fulfillment of what YHVH had promised Avraham, that his descendants would be a blessing to all the nations. At the foot of Mt Sinai the wedding took place. It began, as traditional Jewish weddings do, with a mikveh; all the people were told to wash and be ready for what was to come. They came to the Groom under the Chuppah, the wedding canopy, which Elohim had provided with the great cloud over the mountain. And then came the moment they were all waiting for, the exchange of covenant vows and the signing of the Ketubah. This was the Ten  Words (Commandments) spoken by YHVH from the cloud to all of Israel, on which all the rest of Torah is based. Next there was the Token of the covenant, the ring in our day. Ex 31:13 tells us that this sign is Shabbat. And finally, God began to make provisions for their dwelling together in a house, the Mishkan.

 

Why this illustration? Because if we view our covenant relationship with YHVH Elohim as a marriage covenant rather than a king/slave relationship, it changes our attitude toward HIM and our duty under the terms of the covenant. In a marriage, we do not look at our obligations to our spouse as a burden but as a joy. We seek to do the things that please our spouse not because we have to but because we want to, because we love them. Our relationship with YHVH Elohim is the same way. As our ‘marriage partner’, He has shown us what is pleasing to Him (Torah). We perform the mitzvot because we love Him and want to please Him, just as He made promises to Israel regarding their health and prosperity and mission because that’s what pleased them (and us!). We serve Him because we love Him and because He loves us, just as we serve and bless our spouses because we love them and are loved by them. Torah is there to show us how to properly express that love just as when we talk with our spouses, they tell us how they desire to
be loved, appreciated and shown affection. If we have that kind of attitude toward HaShem, we can’t help but be joyful servants of the Almighty, willingly doing anything we can to please Him. No mitzvot will be burdensome or inconvenient; their performance will be a great privilege for we will have His love for us and our love for Him on our minds continually. And that is the attitude and motivation that characterizes a true son or daughter of Avraham.

Rabbi Davis